Written by Abraham Galvan on January 7, 2026
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Since 2019, William Duquette has been running Baptist Health’s South Miami Hospital as CEO and is responsible for overall administrative and operational management of the hospital and its employees.
Under his leadership, South Miami Hospital has received the American Heart Association’s “Get with the Guidelines” achievement award for commitment to high-quality, research-based stroke care. The hospital received Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) from the American College of Emergency Physicians. It was also named a Level IV maternal care verified facility, capable of caring for the most complex maternal conditions and critically ill pregnant women and fetuses.
Previously, Mr. Duquette served as CEO of Baptist Health’s Homestead Hospital for 13 years and held various administrative roles during his 28-year tenure at Homestead Hospital, including vice president of operations, administrative director of laboratory services, and performance improvement coordinator.
Under his leadership, Homestead Hospital was named three times to the Leap Frog Group’s Top Hospital list for excellence in hospital quality, patient safety, and efficiency. Homestead Hospital was the first in Florida to implement routine infectious disease screenings for patients being treated in the emergency center.
To reduce readmissions and provide continuity of care to uninsured and underinsured patients, Mr. Duquette led efforts to open Baptist Health Follow-Up Care. He directed the development of a successful laborist program to improve patient outcomes as well as a robust hospitalist program comprised of highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine physicians who care for 85% of the patients admitted to Homestead Hospital.
Mr. Duquette also assembled a team to establish the Grow2Heal garden on the hospital campus, which provides farm-to-hospital organic produce and community wellness educational opportunities.
In addition to his hospital leadership, Mr. Duquette is active in the community. He is a board member and former chairman of the South Dade Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the boards of the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association and South Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center. He is also an advisory board member of Nova Southeastern University, a member of the Rotary Club of Homestead, and is on the board of United Way Miami.
“Our mission is to be the institutions that people instinctively go to when they need health care, across all age groups, and across the whole spectrum of health care. From birth to any chronic diseases or cancer, and anything that might happen along the way,” he said. “We want to be the place that takes care of everybody across the whole continuum and the whole span of health care, and to know that they’re going to be treated. We just continually increase and keep people aware of the way that we’re treating people with compassion, respect, and world-class care.”
Mr. Duquette spoke with Miami Today reporter Abraham Galvan.
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